NASHIK: Lack of maintenance at Goda Park has left the recreational
ground desolate and almost abandoned. Unclean pathways, a constant
stench, the problem of Goda parand lack of street lighting people complain that there are no lights from the patch near

near Chopda Lawns which has rise to security concerns are all issues
that dog the park and have kept it from attracting citizens to it.
Moreover, drainage from the city also seeps into the river.

Goda
Park and the Godavari Beautification Project had been foremost on the
agenda of the ruling MNS since elections. On his first day in office on
March 19, mayor Yatin Wagh had conducted a meeting on Goda Park. A visit
to the entire stretch of the Godavari and the Park was conducted on
March 24, but things have reached a standstill since then.

When
contacted Wagh said that the entire Goda Park project would have to be
completed first and for that they needed to acquire land. “We have to
acquire 22 kms of land to complete the Goda Park project. Some land
belongs to the forest department while some belongs to the farmersand
Malharkhan. Land from the forest nursery to either side of Someshwar has
also to be acquired and this will take some time. but it would take
some time. There are several backlogs which are being cleared discussed
and approved during the Nashik Municipal Corporation’s (NMC) general
body meetings. This issue would take time. Furthermore, we have to
coorindate with the collector’s office for land acquisitionwe also have
to coordinate with the collector’s office,” he said.

Commenting
on On the repair and maintenance work at the of the already existing
park, he said, “At present, the park has been constructed only from
Chopda Lawns to Suyojit. Maintenance and repairs works of the park are
being carried out by NMC but there are constraints due to the rains.”

He added that due to the monsoon the water from the nullah flowing into
the rive could not be controlledAbout the water from a nullah flowing
into the river, he said that it was due to the rainy season and said
that repair works are carried out as and when possible during the rainy
season.

The park, which has a 9-km jogging track that
stretchfrom Gharpure Ghat to Gangapur village and Ramwadi to the right
of the river, falls within the NMC jurisdiction. the park includes a
stretch of 4 km.